A randomized trial compared peroral endoscopic myotomy with laparoscopic Heller’s myotomy plus Dor’s fundoplication in patients with symptomatic idiopathic achalasia. POEM was noninferior to LHM in ...controlling symptoms of achalasia at 2 years. Symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux were more common in the POEM group.
Achalasia: from diagnosis to management Vaezi, Michael F.; Felix, Valter N.; Penagini, Roberto ...
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences,
October 2016, Letnik:
1381, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Achalasia is an esophageal motility disorder associated with abnormalities in peristalsis and lower esophageal sphincter (LES) relaxation. The etiology of the disease remains elusive. It is often ...misdiagnosed initially as gastroesophageal reflux disease. Patients with achalasia often complain of dysphagia to solids and liquids but may focus on regurgitation as the primary symptom, leading to the early misdiagnosis. Chest pain, weight loss, and occasional vomiting may be additional symptoms encountered in those with achalasia. The disease may be suspected on the basis of clinical presentation, but diagnosis depends on classic findings using high‐resolution manometry, showing either failed or simultaneous contractions with associated normal or high LES pressures with no or incomplete relaxation with swallows. There are no cures for achalasia, and, in most patients, treatments have to be repeated over time. Definitive treatment options in achalasia include pneumatic dilation, surgical myotomy, and the new technique of per‐oral endoscopic myotomy. Botulinum toxin (Botox) or other medical therapies are often reserved for those who cannot have definitive therapies owing to comorbid conditions.
Dendritic cells (DCs) orchestrate a repertoire of immune responses that bring about resistance to infection and tolerance to self. Cancers can exploit DCs to evade immunity, but DCs also can generate ...resistance to cancer. Owing to their capacity to capture, process, and present antigens to naïve T cells, thereby launching adaptive immunity, DCs are poised to play a critical role in cancer recognition and rejection. As such, DCs represent a solution for the expansion and infiltration of T cells with tumor-rejecting properties. Indeed, clinical responses to checkpoint blockade, such as anti-PD-1, are linked to the presence of T cell immunity to cancer-specific antigens. However, only a fraction of patients has clinical benefit. Unraveling the molecular pathways controlling DC-cancer interplay will therefore pave the way for identifying new targets for therapy that overcome limitations of current treatments and promote long-term cancer control.
Gastroparesis (GP) can be a severe and debilitating disease. Its pathophysiology is complex and not completely understood. Two principal mechanisms are responsible for the development of symptoms – ...gastric hypomotility and pylorospasm. Pylorus targeted therapies aim to decrease presumably elevated pyloric tone – pylorospasm. There is a growing body of evidence about their role in the treatment algorithm of GP. G-POEM (endoscopic pyloromyotomy) is an extensively studied pylorus targeted therapy. Its efficacy ranges between 56 and 80% and the number of recurrences among those with treatment effect seems low. G-POEM is a safe procedure with very low frequency of severe adverse events. At present, G-POEM should not be considered as an experimental approach and may be offered to all patients with refractory and severe GP. Nevertheless, G-POEM is not a first line treatment. Conservative measures such as diet modification and pharmacotherapy should always be tried before G-POEM is considered. Further research must focus on better patient selection as at present there are no standardized criteria. Functional imaging such as impedance planimetry (EndoFlip) may hold promise in this regard.
The pathogenesis of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is multifactorial. The severity of abnormal reflux burden corresponds to the dysfunction of the antireflux barrier and inability to clear ...refluxate. The crural diaphragm is one of the main components of the esophagogastric junction and plays an important role in preventing gastroesophageal reflux. The diaphragm, as a skeletal muscle, is partially under voluntary control and its dysfunction can be improved via breathing exercises. Thus, diaphragmatic breathing training (DBT) has the potential to alleviate symptoms in selected patients with GERD. High-resolution esophageal manometry (HRM) is a useful method for the assessment of antireflux barrier function and can therefore elucidate the mechanisms responsible for gastroesophageal reflux. We hypothesize that HRM can help define patient phenotypes that may benefit most from DBT, and that HRM can even help in the management of respiratory physiotherapy in patients with GERD. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the current data supporting physiotherapeutic practices in the treatment of GERD and to illustrate how HRM may guide treatment strategies focused on respiratory physiotherapy.
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